Prof Arsel, the International Institute of Social Studies of EUR, is Research Group Coordinator of the Political Ecology Research Group. his research is focused on the political economy of nature, development and modernization.

His research is concerned with the possibility of achieving emancipatory yet ecologically sustainable socioeconomic development within the context of global capitalism. The focus is specifically on social conflicts – which Arsel conceives of as inevitable yet unpredictable – in sites where nature and natural resources are being extracted or mobilized in the name of rapid industrial development.

He has published extensively on capitalism and sustainability, development theory, environmental conflicts, and extractive industries. He has co-edited three books and is currently writing a book on the political economy of the value of nature.